I am sure this has been batted around ad nauseam, but how many of you are currently using a 7x57 as your primary rifle for elk and mule deer? I know it’s capable, just curious about bullets used, load velocity, etc.
Life Member NRA, RMEF, American Legion, MAGA. Not necessarily in that order.
Heck yes, a 7X57 for elk, deer, bear, moose and just about anything else I'll ever hunt in Utah or Idaho. I shoot 160 grain Partitions in my push feed Model 70 Featherweight with H4350, R-P cases and WLR primers. My load gets over 2700 fps and kills stuff DEAD!! It's my primary hunting rifle and I've since retired my 25-06, 270 Win and 30-06. They're all being gifted to grandsons for their 12th birthdays. I've shot 140 grain Partitions and get 2825fps, but now have settled on one load with the 160s.
Hell yes! Used to have a Ruger African that I used 160 Partitions in @ around 2600fps w/H4831 and elk died regularly! Had a #1 that I used to take my largest ever mule deer with, same bullet, Reloader 23 at 2700fps. Both were stamped 275 Rigby!
"The more I am around people the better I like my dog." Mark Twain
Right. I know all the writers and hunters of olde and our own JB who used the cartridge. Just wondering how many current ‘Fire dwellers are using it these days. Happy Trails
Life Member NRA, RMEF, American Legion, MAGA. Not necessarily in that order.
I am not curranty using a 7X57, but I have several times in m past and I have killed deer AND elk with it. It works perfectly well. My brother-in-law beat me out of my 7X57 and I never made one to replace it, but I didn't sell if for any reason related to how well it shot or how well it kills game. I sold it because he kept laying down $100 bills until I caved in. 160 and 175 grain bullets were what I used for elk. I used Nosler Partitions in 160 and 175, and also 175 grain Hornady RN bullets. (no longer made) One bullet that I had very good luck with for deer was the 154 grain Hornady, but I also used several others and as with every cartridge, if you use a bullet that expands and hold enough weight to exit you get good kills. Used with bullets that broke up completely, the kills were erratic with some being quick and others giving long runs and tedious tracking jobs.
That has nothing at all to do with the cartridge case. I saw the exact same pros and cons from a 7MM Rem mag, a 7MM Weahterby mag, and several 300 mags, a 338 mag, a 9.3X74R, as well as from a 308, 30-06s a 270, 25-06s 257 Weatherby and 6.5 Swede.
But using a 7X57 for elk is NOT a problem at all. It's just fine.
I shot a cow elk in western WY with a 7x57 using a 175 grain factory load. I can't remember if it was FED, REM, or WIN ammo. Broke the near side shoulder with the first shot and killed it with a second shot through the neck. I have very limited elk hunting experience, but for me the most important part of punching an elk tag has been to anchor it by breaking one or both shoulders so that you can put a follow up shot into its vital organs. I've watched more than one elk shot through the lungs go a couple hundred yards before it died of blood loss and they always seem to run into less accessible places and make the recovery that much more challenging.
Based on one event that required two bullets, I'd opine that the 7x57 is an adequate elk cartridge if the shooter is competent and the bullet is properly constructed. I couldn't have asked for a better outcome from a common cup and core bullet.
Through the late 70's and early 80's when I had no idea what I was doing, I killed 6 elk with a 7x57 with 140g sierras. They all died real quick but shots were within 150 yards. Then I learned that I did not have an elk rifle. I went to a 7 Mag with the brand new on the market 140g Ballistic tips(red and Green box) and killed two big bulls with them and numerous deer. Then I found out that the 140g nosler ballistic tip is not an elk bullet.
These Elk today are MUCH tougher and resilient than they were back in the late 70's and early 80's. 175g Sierra BTSP would get the job done in spades in a current 7x57 and I would be packing her up with R#23 and R#26
One year, 7 of us all got our elk with 7 mags with the 154g Hornady flat base, longest shot was 550 yards. A good friend in Flagstaff hunts deer, elk, black bear, all with a 7 mag with 120g TSX...mule man and lion hunter.
I've not only taken bull elk with the 7x57, but a Canadian bull moose. No problems with them, or similar-sized African game like kudu and wildebeest.
Generally I've used well-constructed bullets in the 160-grain class for such game, including the 156 Norma Oryx, 160 Nosler Partition, the late lamented 160 North Fork, and 160 TSX. But would be perfectly happy to somewhat lighter bullets as well, especially monolithics.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
I’ve killed numerous nilgai with a 7x57. Used 140 Swift A-frames, Sierra 170 round nose Pro-hunters, 140 Partitions. Caught the A-frame as I tried to drive it length-wise.
Here’s one I took with a 7x57. I think this one was with a 160 Partition though.
Hard to beat the 160 Nosler Partition in a 7x57 in my opinion. Or a 7 Win Mag either. If I had to pick one gun and one bullet for everything, it would be one of those.
Lots of good eating there BRISTECD!
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
I agree, the meat is excellent. My favorite animal to hunt. Better have some help if you get one though.
Funny story. My co-worker and I took an older gentleman hunting one morning. Turned a corner and one was on the ranch road so the guy takes a shot and the bull takes off running. We drive down to where he was and nothing. So we get out and start slipping along, looking. All the sudden, the guy says “there he is” and throws his gun up and shoots, dropping the mature bull. I said “your bull is standing right there facing away from us”. About that time the first bull falls over and now we have two mature bulls on the ground about 30 ft apart. It was a long day.
Here’s one I took with a 7x57. I think this one was with a 160 Partition though.
Happy to see this...Im hunting Nilgai in May...with my .275 Rigby.
Mainly because of the query behind this thread...Ive killed a number of elk with the 7x57 and quite a number of like sized African game.
Soo, regardless of Texans thinking their animals are made of Kevlar...I'm taking the .275
Besides, its the biggest gun I own...
Good Deal Poobah! Hope you have a great Hunt! Which part of TX are you hunting in ?
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
3) Ruger M 77 22" bbl, 1-9.5" ROT 154 gr Hornady InterLock 49 grs H 4350, 2800 fps.
4) Ruger M 77 22" bbl, 1-8 3/4" ROT 154 gr Hornady InterLock 48 grs 2750 fps
All four have killed Elk and Mule Deer.
I see you like the 154 grain Interloc like I do. I found my load with R17 powder. No data, I started with max 7mm-08 data and worked up. 7x57 has around 8 more grains capacity than 7mm-8
Last edited by Armednfree; 03/10/21.
The older I become the more I am convinced that the voice of honor in a man's heart is the voice of GOD.
I’ve killed numerous nilgai with a 7x57. Used 140 Swift A-frames, Sierra 170 round nose Pro-hunters, 140 Partitions. Caught the A-frame as I tried to drive it length-wise.
I see you used the 170 gr. Sierra round nose Pro-Hunters. How well did they work for you? Did they hold together fairly well? The reason I'm asking is I came into a small sully of those bullets and would like to try them on game. Paul B.
Our forefathers did not politely protest the British.They did not vote them out of office, nor did they impeach the king,march on the capitol or ask permission for their rights. ----------------They just shot them. MOLON LABE
If you use this website as a reference, shot placement is ALL that matters so if a 22LR is good, that 7X57 is overkill....with proper shot placement of course...
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
My last elk (and it was truly my last elk) I killed with a 150 grain Nosler Partition and 49 grains of IMR-4350 with a MV of slightly over 2700 fps. The cow went maybe 50 yards before dropping with both lungs out of action. No bullet found and it still may be going.
Shew me thy ways, O LORD: teach me thy paths. "there are few better cartridges on Earth than the 7 x 57mm Mauser" "the .30 Springfield is light, accurate, penetrating, and has surprising stopping power"
I’ve killed numerous nilgai with a 7x57. Used 140 Swift A-frames, Sierra 170 round nose Pro-hunters, 140 Partitions. Caught the A-frame as I tried to drive it length-wise.
I see you used the 170 gr. Sierra round nose Pro-Hunters. How well did they work for you? Did they hold together fairly well? The reason I'm asking is I came into a small sully of those bullets and would like to try them on game. Paul B.
Worked perfect on a nilgai cow. I may have a picture of the recovered bullet somewhere.
I am sure this has been batted around ad nauseam, but how many of you are currently using a 7x57 as your primary rifle for elk and mule deer? I know it’s capable, just curious about bullets used, load velocity, etc.
Dad used 160 NP's over 48 grains of H4831 in a 7x57 for 3 elk, 1 booner BC moose, 1 Bighorn sheep, 1 Stone sheep, x antelope, y whitetails, 1 mulie, 1 mountain caribou, & 1 mountain goat. None required a 2nd shot.
I've found H4350 to work a little better in this rifle, but I'm sticking with the 160 NP's.
FC
"Every day is a holiday, and every meal is a banquet."
I loaded a 140ttsx in a 21” barreled 7/08 ( I couldn’t decide on a20 or 22” barrel....where have I read that before!?) for my mom’s Africa trip. It killed everything from impala to a big zebra very well. I’m sure it would work equally well for your 7x57.
It really makes no difference in the case size, it's the placement, and energy of the bullet that counts. If the case was 5 inches long the bullet will have greater energy , but it's the same bullet. I have been personally been involved in two 7 X 57 kills. Both went fine, but the second required a backup shot with another rifle. It was hit a little far back and made it to the top of the ridge, stopped for an instant, and was finished with a larger caliber. There is nothing magical about any particular cartridge, its always the same factors, placement, and energy. More energy allows one a greater margin of error, but placement is the key. As was once said, "bring enough gun", was a result of a high velocity small caliber rifle failing to take down a hyena, The animal was attempting to eat a couple of folks and was dispatched by a 470 Nitro Express. Most likely overkill but still a lesson. Hence the phrase "bring enough gun".
I am sure this has been batted around ad nauseam, but how many of you are currently using a 7x57 as your primary rifle for elk and mule deer? I know it’s capable, just curious about bullets used, load velocity, etc.
I have killed 4 elk with my .280 Remington loaded with Remington 175 gr Cor-Lokt,, 160 grain Speer Grand Slams (two elk) and 160 grain Nosler Partition. All were loaded around 2,800 fps. The 175 was loaded before I understood pressure signs, and it was severely overloaded. All four of these elk died instantly and never took a step. Shots were between 113 and 375 yards. I'm very sure a 7x57 similarly loaded would have given very similar results.
Anybody know how many elephants Bell killed with the 7x57? Think they were calling it a 276 Rigby then!
"They" were not calling a 276 Rigby then. The British called it the .275 Rigby.
Bell's was a .275, and he killed a bunch of elephants with it--using brain shots with "solid" bullets, which is irrelevant to this discussion. In fact, he actually preferred the 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer (which was called the .256 by the Brits) using solids of around 160 grains, because his customized M-S carbine. But the Austrian ammo available had brittle cases, which often separated--so he switched to his .275.. But for really tough-angle shots in thicker cover he used the .318 Westley Richards, with 250-grain bullets.
All of this is still irrelevant to shooting big game with expanding bullets.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
That ole 7x59 Westly-Schownower was always a classic.
The WHAT?
I myself find it somewhat difficult to ajudge the veracity of someone's argument when they cannot be bothered to at least spell the words correctly...or use something approaching English.
That ole 7x59 Westly-Schownower was always a classic.
By golly there for a minute I thought 'Stick had shown up on this thread.
"An archer sees how far he can be from a target and still hit it, a bowhunter sees how close he can get before he shoots." It is certainly easy to use that same line of thinking with firearms. -- Unknown
That ole 7x59 Westly-Schownower was always a classic.
The WHAT?
I myself find it somewhat difficult to ajudge the veracity of someone's argument when they cannot be bothered to at least spell the words correctly...or use something approaching English.
EXACTAMUNDO!
Wait a minute...is that a word?
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
Didn't Westley Richards call the 7x57 the .276 WR? With everybody now calling their 7x57s the .275 Rigby, maybe I'll call mine the .276 WR. Ya think? Paul B.
Our forefathers did not politely protest the British.They did not vote them out of office, nor did they impeach the king,march on the capitol or ask permission for their rights. ----------------They just shot them. MOLON LABE
Didn't Westley Richards call the 7x57 the .276 WR? With everybody now calling their 7x57s the .275 Rigby, maybe I'll call mine the .276 WR. Ya think? Paul B.
Based on John Sundra's experience with 7mms of all kinds of chamberings, I recommended the 154gr Hornady for my buddy's wife in her 7mm/08. A trip to Colorado, one shot, and a 3x3 elk on the ground. So, if the 7/08 could do it, the 7x57 will do it. In spades.
Gun control...schemed by tyrants and supported by fools.
If I was doing it, and I would without a problem, I would load up some of my remaining 154 grain Hornady Interlocks and go forth. Not even a second thought on capabilities. Les
Its not always easy to do the right thing, But it is always the right thing to do.
When I was culling brumbies with the .275 Rigby, I used a few bullets and the 140 and 150gn Nosler Solid Bases stayed inside shoulder or chest shots, the 160gn Failsafe's penetrated side on shots but I dug 3 from rumps, bulging under the skin after passing full length, 140gn Barnes X's have penetrated every horse and anything else I have shot with them, regardless of angle, so I have never recovered one. Because we all accept that the bullet does the work, a 7x57 loaded with either a 140gn TTSX or 145 LRX at 2900fps and 2850fps respectively, is enough for anything under 1,000 pounds and more if you can place it well. Makes it harder to justify a heavier bullet unless your rifle just liked them.
When truth is ignored, it does not change an untruth from remaining a lie.
There's no such cartridge as the ".275 Rigby". It wasn't a proprietary cartridge that Rigby "owned" in anyway.
It was just the .275, (which everyone knew was the 7mm Mauser.) The same way the 6.5 was called a .256.
They never sold ammo headstamped ".275 Rigby"" and the their brand of ammunition had on the box: ".275 bore - Rigby Special High Velocity""
When someone said they had a .275 Rigby Mauser, they meant the cartridge was a .275 and the rifle was a Rigby Mauser. Not that they had a "".275 Rigby"" in a Mauser rifle. No one for example, ever bought a rifle from Thomas Bland or Gibbs chambered in 7mm Mauser and called it a "".275 Rigby"" It was not like the .223 REmington, or the .308 Winchester.
But after twenty years of misunderstandings on the internet people now call the cartridge a .275 Rigby. Even Craig Boddington does it. They think that it was a propriatary Rigby cartridge, or it was "renamed by them"", or ""that was what it was known as in the UK"". It is now so universal that people are getting their custom rifles stamped with "".275 Rigby"" and - the new Rigby company are actually now selling ammo marked .275 Rigby! So the internet has created something original thinking it is traditional. The internet is a fascinating place.
"A person that carries a cat home by the tail will receive information that will always be useful to him." Mark Twain
Roughly 50 years ago, Jack O'Connor said the 7x57 with a good 160gr bullet at 2650 fps, was a little-known secret to flattening big elk with a minimum of recoil. Although his favorites appeared to be the .270 and the 30-06, he watched his wife dispatch all kinds of game over many years with her 7x57.
John Barsness has written on this forum that it's no great trick to get a 160gr bullet up to 2800 fps in the 7x57 with modern powders, and I believe he's used it on game larger than elk during hunts in Africa.
That makes two VERY good recommendations!
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing -- Edmund Burke
I own one of the Winchester Model 70 XTR bolt guns from the 80s. It needed glass bedding but shoots OK. Long throat and 81/4 twist. I mostly use Nosler 160 Partitions and their old 162 grain solid base bullet, which I like a lot and still have a couple hundred of. Mostly use IMR 4350, 4831, R22 (had a lot of it too), Now using some 4000 - MR. Have killed three bull elk with one shot each. Wound channel about the same as 150 grain 270 (which I have killed several more elk with). Maybe the wound channel is a little less bloody. Very good deer gun. Interestingly, I get my best accuracy with Speer 145 grain Hot Cores and W760 or H414, fine for deer at normal ranges (under 300 yards). I have never shot an elk over 300 yards away and only shot at a couple of deer over 300 yards. The 7x57 is a very nice light sporter weight rifle choice. I also think the case capacity is better for 160 grain bullets than the 7mm-08, good as it is.
I own one of the Winchester Model 70 XTR bolt guns from the 80s. It needed glass bedding but shoots OK. Long throat and 81/4 twist. I mostly use Nosler 160 Partitions and their old 162 grain solid base bullet, which I like a lot and still have a couple hundred of. Mostly use IMR 4350, 4831, R22 (had a lot of it too), Now using some 4000 - MR. Have killed three bull elk with one shot each. Wound channel about the same as 150 grain 270 (which I have killed several more elk with). Maybe the wound channel is a little less bloody. Very good deer gun. Interestingly, I get my best accuracy with Speer 145 grain Hot Cores and W760 or H414, fine for deer at normal ranges (under 300 yards). I have never shot an elk over 300 yards away and only shot at a couple of deer over 300 yards. The 7x57 is a very nice light sporter weight rifle choice. I also think the case capacity is better for 160 grain bullets than the 7mm-08, good as it is.
I’ve used a 308 and a 270 on elk - about the same power range as a 7x57. I used heavy for the caliber bullets. After getting too close to a grizzly I carried either a 338 Win Mag or a 350 Rem Mag with 250 grain Partitions for years. I know little about the big bears compared to many here on 24, but I felt that while in big bear country “use enough gun” was important - to me. A friend used my first 280 with heavy Speer bullets loaded to 7x57 velocity with great success - as I recall 160 grain Mag Tip Speers was an accurate bullet in that 280 and that’s all I used in it. It was my “loaner” rifle.
Life member NRA I prefer classic. Semper Fi - SGT I used to run with the hare. Now I'm envious of the tortoise.
Haven't used it but damn sure would, old style 175gr Speer Grand Slams are tougher than a boot heel, they leave at 2700 fps, best test i guess was putting one diagonally through a 262lb [weighed] axis buck at 155 yards, in point of right shoulder, out backside of left ham, DRT, no concerns punching a bull elk with that load.
There's no such cartridge as the ".275 Rigby". It wasn't a proprietary cartridge that Rigby "owned" in anyway.
It was just the .275, (which everyone knew was the 7mm Mauser.) The same way the 6.5 was called a .256.
They never sold ammo headstamped ".275 Rigby"" and the their brand of ammunition had on the box: ".275 bore - Rigby Special High Velocity""
When someone said they had a .275 Rigby Mauser, they meant the cartridge was a .275 and the rifle was a Rigby Mauser. Not that they had a "".275 Rigby"" in a Mauser rifle. No one for example, ever bought a rifle from Thomas Bland or Gibbs chambered in 7mm Mauser and called it a "".275 Rigby"" It was not like the .223 REmington, or the .308 Winchester.
But after twenty years of misunderstandings on the internet people now call the cartridge a .275 Rigby. Even Craig Boddington does it. They think that it was a propriatary Rigby cartridge, or it was "renamed by them"", or ""that was what it was known as in the UK"". It is now so universal that people are getting their custom rifles stamped with "".275 Rigby"" and - the new Rigby company are actually now selling ammo marked .275 Rigby! So the internet has created something original thinking it is traditional. The internet is a fascinating place.
Then how do you explain that decades before Al Gore claimed to have invented the internet, my John Rigby and Sons Mauser rifle was was inscribed by the manufacturer as .275 Rigby as the chambering?
When truth is ignored, it does not change an untruth from remaining a lie.
If later on the Rigbys wanted to try to pirate a great cartridge invented by Mauser in the 1800s, there was nothing to keep them from stamping their name and nomenclature on a 7x57 barrel - nothing except ethics and integrity, that is.
A rose by any other name - - - - - -.
.275 Rigby, indeed - sounds like something a Biden would do.
The 7×57mm Mauser (designated as the 7 mm Mauser or 7×57mm by the SAAMI and 7 × 57 by the C.I.P.) is a first-generation smokeless powder rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge. It is known as .275 Rigby in the United Kingdom. It was developed by Paul Mauser of the Mauser company in 1892 and adopted as a military cartridge by Spain in 1893.[3] It was subsequently adopted by several other countries as the standard military cartridge, and although now obsolete as a military cartridge, it remains in widespread international use as a sporting round. Many sporting rifles in this calibre were made by British riflemakers, among whom John Rigby was prominent; and, catering for the British preference for calibres to be designated in inches, Rigby called this chambering the .275 bore after the measurement of a 7 mm rifle's bore across the lands.
I'm really enjoying this thread so let me pose a scenario ...If someone was going to use a 70's era pushfeed M70 Fwt 7x57 as one gun do all go anywhere critter getter in Texas for anything that walks, what one bullet weight & powder would be the perfect do all DRT shooter to concentrate on 1st?
2 years ago I backed into a early '70's very well kept & lovingly tuned rifle. I've been shooting mostly a 270 at everything since the '70's,with excursions into everything from 300WMgs & a 9.3x62 and down with a nearly new 6.5 Swede Tikka as the current bottom line backup. But this Fwt is a very comfortable fit for my beat up 77 year old shoulder, and really likes factory ammo in Hornady SST's so far . with a couple boxes of other Hornady 139gr'ers waiting their turn at the range.
The biggest surprise I saw in this thread was in bullet weight's of 150gr+ were getting way more velocity & range than I expected. I'm all ears. Ron
I had one and used for both der and elk. As was said by 7mmtortilla, I found the 160 grain Nosler Partition to be about perfect, but there were several others that did very well too. I used 175 grain Partitions and also 175 gr Hornady RN bullets for elk as well as 154 Hornadys in both RN and Spirt Point on deer .
But if I ever got that rifle back and was to only pick one bullet for everything ...It would be the 160 grain Partition
Every "all around" load choice depends on several factors, but have killed a lot of big game around the world with various 7x57 handloads. My all-around favorite might be the 156 Norma Oryx loaded to around 2650-2700 fps with H4350--how much powder depending on the rifle. It expands pretty widely, so makes a big hole and kills well, but also retains around 90% of its weight, and penetrates deeply.
But have also taken a bunch with various other bullets in that weight-range. One of the virtues of the 7x57 is that many bullets work great at that muzzle velocity--just as various bullets around 180 grains work great in the .30-06.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
I've not used these but have an 7x57 Chilean mauser, 7-08 kimber Montana, and a 7x57R combo rifle. I'd assume these are basically analogs of each other? I'd dearly love to try them and have a pile of old Hornady 154 gr and lots of old Nosler ballistic tip 7mm bullets bullets but I've got to try out an 270win first.
The biggest surprise I saw in this thread was in bullet weight's of 150gr+ were getting way more velocity & range than I expected. I'm all ears. Ron
I have an M70 FWT 7x57 that is a recent manufacture. I figure if a 7mm-08 has a 51mm case and a 280 has a 63mm case, the difference is 12mm, leaving the 7x57 perfectly in the middle. So, I generally start at high end 7mm-08 loads and usually end on the equivalent of mild/medium 280 loads. No pressure signs and I’m easily exceeding the anemic book loads. I’m shooting a 160gr Partition with enough RL19 to get 2650fps. No pressure signs and really accurate in my rifle.
When I bought the 7x57 in 1962, from a Sears and Roebuck mailer, it cost $13.99 and came in full military form - 1895 Chilean Mauser,straight bolt, mil sights, cock upon closing, long barrel, not drilled/tapped for scope, etc. Over several months I did the conversion to a sporter for hunting (as noted in my first post - many deer and elk, and also one antelope and a few javelina) and it remains in that form today.
In that same mail order, I bought three boxes of the standard Winchester hunting ammo of the day - featuring 175 gr. round nose bullets. They worked OK - killed stuff just fine - but once I began reloading I was able to find the best performing loads for that rifle. After a bunch or experiment, I settled on the 140 gr. as the best all around for that rifle. Some others up into the 150 gr. range also did well for accuracy and on chronograph. I have never used a 175 gr. since those originals were all shot - but have reloaded that Win brass many times.
At a good gun store in Alb, I once found two unopened boxes of RWS 7x57 with bullets in the 150 gr. range. That was excellent ammo - shot as well as my loads. Contacted a tech at the factory in Germany to try to find out the powder they used, and quantity - he never replied.
The 140 grain kills bull elk well, as does a 130 gr. in a .270.
Don't get me started on my originally mil 6.5x55 Mod. 96 Swedish carbine - bought in 1965, turned into a sporter, and still going strong.
Two most excellent cartridges invented/designed in the 1800s.
Sounds like I need to shoot the 3 box's of Hdy 139'ers on hand at any & everything else in Texas, but look for some heavier built bullets in 150gr's ala some of the Nosler stuff built for deeper damage or complete pass thru's, and learn the +' & -'s of that bullet weight & max speed combination.
Texas has a SP drawing hunt that has Sambar on the menu, along with some other things like Axis that I dearly love to eat. I had not put in for this hunt before as the Axis are an after thought on this SP and not plentiful with a 1 animal limit, unlike some of the other SP's further west.
So: from what I'm reading here the 7x57 in a bullet built for deep penetration is GTG on something as big as a Sambar? umm at ranges out to 200/250 or mebbe 300 yards?
OTOH The shoulder is not as big an issue these days as it was the previous 9 years after the VA Dallas surgery that wrecked the shoulder to begin with. 2 years ago I found a local VA's new Phy Asst who used a heavy shot in the ball joint tween the collar bone and upper arm, of a new kind of steroids to get me back in the CF Rifle game again, after a 9 year layoff of anything much stronger than a 22LR out of my Marlin 39D....but I'd already sold almost everything by then. Thanks all for the info...I'll up date the effort as I get along later this year. Ron
Sakoron asked, "I'm really enjoying this thread so let me pose a scenario ...If someone was going to use a 70's era pushfeed M70 Fwt 7x57 as one gun do all go anywhere critter getter in Texas for anything that walks, what one bullet weight & powder would be the perfect do all DRT shooter to concentrate on 1st?"
My prime go to 7x57 is the Winchester XTR push feed FWT as well. Also run a Ruger #1A and a custom Mauser The load I've pretty much settled on uses RL17 and the 150 gr. Nosler Partition. I won't give the charge as it is above published levels. Velocity is in the lower 2800s an is sub-MOA in the FWT, MOAA in the Ruger and the Mauser doesn't like it. Can't win them all.
I have a lot of 160 gr. Speer Hot Core bullets on hand that I will try and see if they work in the Mauser. Accuracy is no problem with it, just shows pressure problems much sooner than the factory guns. Action is a commercial FN that used to be a .270 Win. so I'm not concerned about strength. I think the problem stems from the fact that that rifle has the tightest chamber I've ever seen, I have several customs but none have chambers as tight as this rifle. I'll have to scrounge up some factory ammo and work up from scratch with that rifle.
JMHO but I think for an all round load, a 150 or 160 gr. bullet would be the way to go. At the velocities possible, one may not even need a premium bullet which is why I plane on trying the 160 gr. Speer in the fussy Mauser. If a 150 gr. bullet from a .270 is good for elk, so should a 150 gr. bullet work just as well. The 160 might be just a little bit better.
I've found that the hardest part of getting an elk these days is drawing a damn tag. Paul B.
Our forefathers did not politely protest the British.They did not vote them out of office, nor did they impeach the king,march on the capitol or ask permission for their rights. ----------------They just shot them. MOLON LABE
If you're using Hornady 139's for "anything and everything" in Texas, but want something more suitable for big elk, consider using the 140gr Barnes TTSX. They're tough, and deep penetrating.
You might not even have to re-sight your scope when you switch between the loads.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing -- Edmund Burke
Calling a 7x57 a .275 Rigby is the firearms equivalent of putting fake vents on the front fenders of your 2007 Ford Expedition and pretending it's a 1955 Buick Roadmaster : )
I shot two elk with a 7x57, 150gr rem core lokt , and imr 4350. A bull at 150 yds. and a sickly cow at 30 yds. both dead as can be. The bull was probably my best game shot as he was running at a steady clip and I hit a rib at the back right side and it centered the heart.
Calling a 7x57 a .275 Rigby is the firearms equivalent of putting fake vents on the front fenders of your 2007 Ford Expedition and pretending it's a 1955 Buick Roadmaster : )
That might be true, but I'd bet the house you would not turn down an original Rigby in 275 for a steal of a deal at a yard sale.
It's a parts gun I'm working on. The barrel is one found in a gunsmith's junk pile. It has been shortened to 22 in and a new sight added. The action is a Featherweight salvaged from a flood damaged rifle, and the stock is a very beat up one with a perished ventilated pad. I sanded the splinters off the worst spots and applied some oil. When finished, I hope it looks like a well used but cared for rifle.
It might be an interesting one to carry around a gun show to collect reactions.
I believe CDNN has some Winchester stocks (both wood and synthetic) for a closeout sale. Maybe not one to fit yours, but probably worth the time to check it out.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing -- Edmund Burke
Barnes TTSX's. Now that's a very good idea for bigger critters. Thanks. As previously mentioned I'm coming off a 9 year "forced vacation" of shooting anything but very rarely & only occasional paper as a way of analizing if I am ready to do the work necessary. The Hdy 139's are adequate for the Texas sized Wt's and similar sized game. Better Grade Bullet choices here are like everywhere else and hard to come by but it seems like it's beginning to ease just a little.
At the TPW SP I'd won a ticket for in January, the nearly new Ky built Marlin X7S held true with a decent sized hog of about 160lb's peeking at me thru a brushy thicket at a little over 150 yards and took a bullet in between some brushy limbs perfectly for a DRT no squeal result...so I am getting there, albeit slowly.
I also have about a K+ of several kinds of 270 bullets to play with. Some of these I had bought out of estate sales a very long time ago and are still in RP red paper box's..or just bulk box's & bag's of Hdy's & Noslers, but had shot straight way back when , and are gonna be my prime practice ammo, along with umm 500+ 6.5's and a nearly new Tikka Swede to keep me loose and pliable and Not Bored or frustrated with just one gun when things don't go to that Day's Plan. Burned too much daylight to waste any more time over the last 10+ years jacking with the Dallas VA's surgery ward. Ron
I am not going to read 4 pages. That said you need to up gun to the new 6.5mm Creedmoor. The 7X57 just is not enough for a big bull elk.
Spoken as if from a true aficionado - should prompt a fellow to go out and get one of those newfangled wonders - or a 6.5 x 55.
LOL, ive thought more than once of building a 7x57 on a long action with 27-28 inch 8 twist barrel using RWS or Lapua brass and 180gr Scenars/ELDM's for 2800 fps to chase the larger 7mm rifles, buds with 6.5-284's and 6.5 prc's laughed at my idea of 147 eldm's at 2950 in my 6.5 Swede, they dont laugh anymore, my swede and a 7x57 so built handily paddle the butt of the 6.5 creedmoor.
I guess Mr. Taylor didn't get the memo on the inefficacy of the 7X57... If it will also work on Eland, and kudu, so plenty for elk..
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
The folks who gain $$ making and selling the "next big thing" for gun loonies like some of us can do well with a truly better bullet and other such component improvements. But, when it comes to case/cartridge design, they haven' had much head room for improvement beyond the 100+ year old designs.
Trying to overcome the absolutely proven successes of the 30:06, 7x57, 6.5x 55, etc. has been a rather silly quest - but, as seen in this thread, the real data on taking game is indelible.
That big bull lying dead did not care about the cartridge design, or even the bullet weight.
Trying to overcome the absolutely proven successes of the 30:06, 7x57, 6.5x 55, etc. has been a rather silly quest - but, as seen in this thread, the real data on taking game is indelible.
Correct! ...... IMO, the only really significant cartridge roll out since the 270Winchester came about was the 222Remington which spawned the 223.
Everything else was a re-invention of the wheel which was already round.
Seems to me that a lot of wasted energy and time even discussing such pros and cons. Who cares anyhow? If your rifle/ammo combo works , use it and if not change it and stop jawing about it.
Last edited by crshelton; 03/10/22.
CRS, NRA Benefactor Life Member, Whittington Center, TSRA, DWWC, DRSS Android Reloading Ballistics App at http://www.xplat.net/
Seems to me that a lot of wasted energy and time even discussing such pros and cons. Who cares anyhow? If your rifle/ammo combo works , use it and if not change it and stop jawing about it.
Some folks enjoy certain activities and topics, and find it rewarding to explore and discuss those. Quite naturally, others will see such discussion as " a lot of wasted energy and time" and don't care. The more mature of those seem to be able to just ignore what they see as waste and don't feel the need to comment.
I like the conversations as it keeps both the cartridge and the interest in it alive, as it deserves. Like the .30/06, it doesn't really need any improvement, just more use.
When truth is ignored, it does not change an untruth from remaining a lie.
I bought one of the first contemporary Winchester Featherweights in 7x57 so am 40 years into it now. During that time frame I had had opportunity to observe field use of other cartridges compared to it and that is why it stays and sold rifles get replaced. It has one of the highest percentages of 1 shot kills and is so easy to shoot, I long ago made it a loaner when I was shooting something else. That way I still got to enjoy what it does so effortlessly well.
Was at the range twice last week with 5 rifles and 2 handguns. I saved the 7x57 until last savoring its ease of use, knowing it would perform the same tasks as its noisier safe mates which were burning a little or a lot more powder and making me work a lot harder to shoot them well.
The 7x57 puts pleasure back into recreational shooting.
When truth is ignored, it does not change an untruth from remaining a lie.
There was a young fellow who used to come to my place and hunt elk. He used a 7mm-08 (I know. It's not a 7x57 but, headstamp aside, it works just the same), He killed three bulls with one shot each (he used 150 partitions). He was convinced he needed more gun, after a close encounter with a grizzly, so he bought a 300 mag. That year, he shot another bull. It took one shot, just like the 7mm. He said the main difference, from what he could see, was that the 300 weighed another pound and a half and it kicked a lot harder. I have built a couple 275 Rigby's; one on a Norwegian Krag. They worked a lot like 7x57's too GD
Have 2 7x57’s , A Ruger #1 RSI that likes Speer 145 GS on top of a healthy dose of H414. Kills critters dead. I hope it likes Speer 160 Hot-Cors as I bought 250 of them a month or so back. I also have an early 80’s Model 70 Featherweight in 7x57 I haven’t loaded for it yet but it will shoot moa with Remington 140PSPCL’s so this coming season I’ll use those up. That was with a B and L Balvar 2.5x10 ,in a one piece Redfield base and rings. I changed out the Redfield one piece base and dovetail mounts to Talley QD’s and an M8 4X Leupold. Need to get it sighted in one day. Deer season is a ways off and my Dec. Black bear hunt is also a ways out. No hurry .
I think that with good bullets and shot placement the 7x57 is never a bad choice for deer, black bear, elk and even moose.
"Aim right, squeeze light" " Might as well hit what you're aiming at, it kicks the same whether you miss or not"
With the exception of a Grizzly bear I wouldn't feel under gunned with a 7X57 and if push came to shove and I needed it for a Grizzly proper shot placement would be the rule as it always is. I'm sure it could get the job done. I have a 7X57 AI that loves the Speer Hot Cor 160's.
I found a couple hundred old Speer 160 Mag Tips I'm going to try if I ever get my Fwt from the gunsmith, ha. I had a buddy in South Africa, back in the early 90s,under the old anti-apartheid Sanctions who used the 180 Mag Tip in the old 308 for culling, even Eland and Buffalo. I bet they work just fine in the old 7x57. Being a flatter nose, I have a bit more room for powder....oh Yeah!
Jim, I believe a fellow on here that goes by ingwe used the 160 Mag Tips in his 7x57 with outstanding results. I have some 175 Mag Tips but, haven't taken any game with them as I only hunt whitetail deer now and am unsure if they would open up.
Shew me thy ways, O LORD: teach me thy paths. "there are few better cartridges on Earth than the 7 x 57mm Mauser" "the .30 Springfield is light, accurate, penetrating, and has surprising stopping power"
The 7x57 is a fantastic round. It can handle most hunting scenarios with great sucess as long as there is good judgment involved.
This brings me to my point. I would have been a happy camper with a 7x57 at young age or any age for that matter. I got started out with .308 Winchester, I found the greatness of this cartridge. I liked it very much, so I found another which I bought. I have two that were given to me, Grandfather and my dad. Those two mostly just rest in my safe. One I had built, and one I won. So, this is a small, sampling how one may come to have a rifle in a certain caliber.
Of course, I had to have a 30-06, I only one. There are others that have come into my possession, which is okay; I have grandkids who will get to enjoy these rifles.
I think the 160 NP is about the best across.the board general hunting bullet out there for the 7x57.
I've had a rifle come to me that was carried by the 3 generations before. I figured if the 160 NP was good enough for them (bears, moose, rams, whitetail, mulies, yada yada yada), I could slum it as well. Other than subbing H4350 for IMR 4350, it's still doing the job as it has for many decades.
If all goes well, it'll go up the mountain once more for a bighorn in 2023.
FC
Last edited by Folically_Challenged; 03/15/22.
"Every day is a holiday, and every meal is a banquet."
I am sure this has been batted around ad nauseam, but how many of you are currently using a 7x57 as your primary rifle for elk and mule deer? I know it’s capable, just curious about bullets used, load velocity, etc.
No but if I had a long action Kimber that wasn't shooting well and I wanted to rebarrel it, 7x57 would be real high on my list of options.
Tom
Anyone who thinks there's two sides to everything hasn't met a M�bius strip.
I think the 160 NP is about the best across.the board general hunting bullet out there for the 7x57.
I've had a rifle come to me that was carried by the 3 generations before. I figured if the 160 NP was good enough for them (bears, moose, rams, whitetail, mulies, yada yada yada), I could slum it as well. Other than subbing H4350 for IMR 4350, it's still doing the job as it has for many decades.
If all goes well, it'll go up the mountain once more for a bighorn in 2023.
FC
I'm green with envy! That is an outstanding rifle, congratulations.
Shew me thy ways, O LORD: teach me thy paths. "there are few better cartridges on Earth than the 7 x 57mm Mauser" "the .30 Springfield is light, accurate, penetrating, and has surprising stopping power"
Armed Free: Curious about your Win M70 Pre-64 with the 24" Buhmiller barrel... Is it a bull barrel, untapered? Any idea when it was made? JR made some 62,000 barrels and sold them to gunsmiths who may or may not have tapered them as they did what their customers wanted. But most were not 24", as that was the extreme length he could build... Would like to know what you might know about the rifle...
I think if I had to do it all over again, I'd only have two or three rifles total for big game.
Two 7x57s. One wood/walnut classic, another stainless/synthetic and another in 300H&H for moose.
Have only taken one moose with the 7x57, but it worked fine in Alberta a few years ago. (Have also taken probably a dozen other species of big game with the round in places from Alaska to Africa, usually but not always with bullets in the 160-grain range.)
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
I’ve never been elk hunting, but I love my mid 80’s Ruger 77 in 7x57. This is the only big game that I’ve killed with it. 160 grain Speer Grand Slam at about 2550 fps. Loaded with W760. 60ish yards. Bullet shot completely through him just behind the crease. He made one good jump forward and fell over dead. You can see the exit hole in the pic. If Ohio would ever allow bottleneck case rifles for deer, this would be the first one I’d take hunting. Only bad thing is that I’m a lefty and this is a right handed rifle. Still my favorite though. By the way, this was in 1997. Ron
Last edited by Ohio7x57; 02/09/23.
People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. Orwell
That ole 7x59 Westly-Schownower was always a classic.
The WHAT?
I myself find it somewhat difficult to ajudge the veracity of someone's argument when they cannot be bothered to at least spell the words correctly...or use something approaching English.
Just saw my old post - I was trying to be funny by co-mingling and knowingly misspelling several variations of entirely different cartridges - in light of the several names of the 7x57 obviously my attempt failed…miserably. 🤦🏻♂️
I think if I had to do it all over again, I'd only have two or three rifles total for big game.
Two 7x57s. One wood/walnut classic, another stainless/synthetic and another in 300H&H for moose.
Have only taken one moose with the 7x57, but it worked fine in Alberta a few years ago. (Have also taken probably a dozen other species of big game with the round in places from Alaska to Africa, usually but not always with bullets in the 160-grain range.)
Nice moose. I've only shot one moose with the 7mm as well. 160gr NPs worked as it should.
You're right. One could do just about anything with a 7x57 in NA. I could knock the 300H&H off my list and still be well covered.
I’ve killed numerous nilgai with a 7x57. Used 140 Swift A-frames, Sierra 170 round nose Pro-hunters, 140 Partitions. Caught the A-frame as I tried to drive it length-wise.
The Mrs. and me "snow bird" every winter. Our youngest bought property between Laredo and Kingsville. We see nilgai quite often across the fence. If I could get one on the correct side of the fence....😉 Problem is, recoil is no longer an option for me, so I'll be using my AR in 6.8mm (.277").
I myself find it somewhat difficult to ajudge the veracity of someone's argument when they cannot be bothered to at least spell the words correctly...or use something approaching English.
Just saw my old post - I was trying to be funny by co-mingling and knowingly misspelling several variations of entirely different cartridges - in light of the several names of the 7x57 obviously my attempt failed…miserably. 🤦🏻♂️
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